This has been Stanford’s first question for the last several years, and it is one of the hardest, if not the hardest to answer. It demands introspection. Before you put pen to paper or finger to keyboard, take time to reflect on what you value, how you have demonstrated those values, and why you hold them dear.

When I think back on our many successful Stanford clients, they were the ones who showed, especially in Essay A, that they did not turn away or close their eyes when they saw need. They could demonstrate that they seized the initiative when they recognized an opportunity to contribute. They were comfortable expressing emotion, their values, and their ability to act on both. More than anything else, to me initiative and self-awareness characterize the successful Stanford application. That means you have to reflect upon your values and those times you have acted upon them. You don’t have to have climbed Mt. Everest or been a victim of terrible social ills, but you do have to know the person occupying your skin.

Essay B: What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?

This question is a variation of a standard MBA goals question and different flavors have occupied this slot on the Stanford application for years. You need to define your career goals and then explain how Stanford’s program will help you achieve your goals. Understand the flexibility inherent in Stanford’s new curriculum, its integrated approach to management, and how both will help you achieve your career goals. Realize that the curriculum allows for personalization based on your goal and your distance from that goal. Obviously, a clear goal and knowledge of the Stanford program and curriculum are imperative to answer this question.

Essay C: Short Essays—Options 1-4Answer two of the questions below. Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it. What was the outcome? How did people respond? Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years.

The first issue you must address when looking at Essay C is “Which two do you choose?”. Answer: the two that, when combined with your required essays, allow you to present the most impressive, textured, and comprehensive picture of you.

At the same time take advantage of Stanford’s flexibility within the limits they specify below. Tell your story to maximum effect by using the limits to your best advantage, just as Stanford suggestions.

Finally, note that these questions are experiential , not theoretical, and Stanford wants recent experiences. It wants to know how you achieved, what was the response of those around you, and what was your impact. For further insight, please see “Confessions from the Director of Evaluation.”

Option 1: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team.

New question. These questions require specifics and work well with anecdotal responses. Stanford does not want to know about all the times that you may have built or developed a team. It wants to know about “a time,” a specific incident. Make it a good one. A time when you built a team that faced challenges and succeeded. A time when your team had impact. A time when you played a key role in building your team.

Option 2: Tell us about a time when you felt most effective as a leader.

New question. Do not use the same experience you use in Option 1 to answer Option 2. Doing so would be wasting an opportunity to show Stanford a different facet of your experience and personality.

In discussing your leadership event , try not to write about leadership in general terms. Focus on the specific aspects of leadership you used to garner trust, organize your group, empower them, and achieve your goal.

Option 3: Tell us about a time when you tried to reach a goal or complete a task that was challenging, difficult, or frustrating.

Use this question to present a challenge you successfully handled. A PAR approach would work well here, as well as with the other C questions.

Option 4: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected.

The suggestions for the other C questions hold here too. Choose to respond to this question if it allows you to demonstrate the individuality and initiative that Stanford values in a setting other than those you have used earlier.

Essay Length

Your answers for all of the essay questions cannot exceed 1,800 words. Each of you has your own story to tell, so please allocate the 1,800 words among all of the essays in the way that is most effective for you. We provide some guidelines below as a starting point, but you should feel comfortable to write as much or as little as you like on any essay question, as long as you do not exceed 1,800 words total.

Comments

What is the most effective way to answer essay B considering that I am applying for the concurrent Harvard MPP-Stanford MBA program. I suspect that it would not be a good idea to bring up how Stanford AND Harvard would help (since that’s not what the question asks) but then there is a missing link between some of my career aspirations and Stanford’s MBA program. Thoughts? Also, should I put the Harvard MPP part in the additional information section?

Thanks!

Sumit

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